The President’s Ambitious Agenda
In a dramatic departure from recent years of inactivity, 2014 is off to a busy start in Washington. As NASAA reported last month, Congress began its new session by passing the first omnibus appropriations bill since 2009. That bill, which will fund federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2014 (through September 30), provides […]
Congress and FY2014 Appropriations
As we reported last month, before adjourning for the holidays, members of the House of Representatives and Senate were able to negotiate a budget resolution that set overall spending limits for fiscal year 2014. While only an early step in the budget process, the announcement was significant as it was the first time since 2010 […]
Budget Due December 15
The House and Senate returned to work on Monday following a two-week break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Greeting legislators are a number of time-sensitive issues that must be addressed before year’s end. First, the legislation that ended the government shutdown in August mandates that the committee of House and Senate members charged with negotiating a […]
Congress Toils over 2014 Budget after Federal Shutdown
On October 16, the federal government shutdown came to a close when leadership in the House of Representatives and the Senate were able to reach an agreement with President Obama. The deal provides funding for the federal government until January 15, while also providing some certainty to the financial markets by extending the nation’s borrowing […]
On Congress’s Plate: Federal Budget, Debt Ceiling, ESEA and More
This week, the U.S. House and Senate returned to session after an unusually long summer recess. Greeting members upon their return are several pressing fiscal issues. First, the current fiscal year is set to expire on September 30, and despite action taken in both the House and Senate appropriations committees, neither chamber has made significant […]
Congress Adjourns without Passing Budget for NEA or Other Agencies; CR Likely
August 5 marked the beginning of a five-week break for members of Congress. The annual recess comes at a particularly challenging time, as Congress adjourned last week without reaching an agreement on several significant spending bills that will require action this fall. Among the bills Congress has failed to pass to date is a federal […]
Despite Stalled Congress, Measures Important to Arts Community Advance
With the first session of the 113th Congress more than midway through its term, I thought it would be useful to reflect on the year to date. In many respects, the 113th Congress began much like the 112th concluded: with members of Congress from both parties frustrated by the lack of progress on key initiatives. […]
How to Nominate an NEA Chairman
With America’s arts community eager to see whom the president will nominate to lead the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), I thought it might be instructive to give you an overview of what the confirmation process entails. The process begins with President Obama formally submitting his choice to the Senate. Because the chairmanship of […]
Get Ready to Support the NEA in FY2014 Budget
Congress is currently in the midst of a two-week recess for the Easter and Passover holidays. When they return on April 8, both the House and Senate are expected begin working almost immediately on the fiscal year 2014 budget, which has already been delayed for several months as Congress tried unsuccessfully to prevent sequestration and […]
Sequestration and the NEA; Arts Caucus Cochair
On the evening of March 1, President Barack Obama issued an order triggering the $85 billion spending reduction known as sequestration. The order, which was legally required under the Budget Control Act of 2011, is the first installment of a $1.2 trillion deficit reduction measure that must be undertaken over the next nine years under […]